My Bangkok Experience!

In my blog, I will be writing in English so that many of my audience will understand me and/or Tagalog so I can share my language and culture.

I planned to write my travel experience in Bangkok while it was still fresh in my mind but it's just today that I have time to sit and write.

Bangkok is very well advertised! You find a lot of very captivating write-ups such as “Amazing Thailand”! I must admit, I was one of those who was encouraged to visit the place.

Hubby and I stayed in Rambutrri Inn, (read from someone’s blog) an inexpensive hotel, conveniently located near interesting sites such as grand palace, transportation, shopping, street food, and bars. I was armed with the knowledge from bloggers' write-ups on warnings on what to do and what not to do in Bangkok. With these in mind, I thought I was ready to travel Bangkok.

We arrived in our hotel during the wee hours of the morning - around 4 a.m. via metered taxi amounting to 300 Bhat. It was still dark. I was kind of afraid as we passed through Khao San road where there were many Caucasians still drinking while others were already drunk. When we reached our hotel, I was relieved. The receptionist could speak English well and told us to wait and may check-in at 7 a.m. if there will be early check-outs. That was kind of her! While waiting, we walked and had breakfast on the side of the nearby street joining other Caucasians. I felt better when I noticed that the Caucasians were having a good time. It was a safe place and wasn’t scary as I thought. Then, I questioned: Is there a place in my country where foreigners are free to move around, and feel safe? Or would they be scared of robbery, assasination, and worse kidnapping? To tell you the truth, I felt safe after observing them. Everywhere we went, we saw a large number of caucasians feeling safe and maybe unmindful of any harmful eventualities. Please pay notice that there are a lot of tourists visiting this city of which I would like my dear Philippines to magnetize them as well!

At the red district, we saw a number of caucasians feeling safe and unmindful of any harmful eventualities.

After resting a bit, we started exploring the place. As we walked a little farther, I observed maps posted on street poles. We were tempted to look at one of those coz we thought it was cool! It's the only country we have visited to have maps scattered in many posts, though we already carried one with us. Suddenly, a man popped out and pointed where we were exactly on the map. We had a dialog with the "kind" man who spoke English enough to be understood.

Scene 1    On a very hot day

Man:  Hi! This is where you are right now. I'm a government employee and works right there.  

                 (pointing at the building at his back.)

We:    Then why are you not working today?

Man: There's no work today. So, I'm here to help people. Now, where do you want to go? I recommend that you go to this jewelry shop because it's the last day today. Normally, they don't allow individuals to go inside. 

We:   No, we don't like to shop. We did not come here to shop for jewelry.

Man: Ma'am you can view the rarest stones produced in Thailand. You will also learn our culture. Just take a look even if you don't buy anything! Only those on a group tour can go inside but today ONLY is special. They allow individuals! Next, you go to this temple because all other temples are closed at this hour. It opens only at 3PM and you don't want to waste your time. Afterwards you go for a boat ride.

We:   You're very kind. Can we take a picture?

Muslims cannot have their pictures taken today.

Man:  No. Muslims cannot take pictures today.

We:    It's okay. Pretend you're not a Muslim today!

Man:  Don't just take any tuktuk. Ride a government tuktuk!

We:    How do we know if it's a government tuktuk or a private tuktuk?

Man:  They have uniforms. You pay only 30 Bhat. Oh. there it is! (Calls the tuktuk stationed under the tree. Explained where we were going and instructed the driver to wait for us while we view the temple and go to the shop.)

Scene 2  Temple

Man 2: Come inside! (He seemed to be "kind" too.) I'm the architect of this temple.

We:      Wow! We're meeting a big person!

Man 2: Not really! (Emphatically -) After you visit this temple, go to the jewelry shop! We are the only producer of ruby and emerald stones in the world and not Dhubai. Our country should be dubbed as the best Jewelry Shop in the world because it is in our country where we can excavate those minerals!

We: Really???? Can we take a picture.
Man 2:  No, please!
We: Come on! (pictures taken)

3 Jewelry Shop

The salesladies were very insistent on selling their wares. They began to act unkind when they noticed that we weren't very interested. I didn't have any plans of buying really.

Scene 4          Boat Ride Ticket

Ticket Man: Here are the prices for the boat rides. (Mentions different prices commensurate to the hours)

We: Why are we the only ones? Where is the public boat?

Man: (No answer. He just continued calling the boat. We thought we couldn't do anything but just to hop in the boat because we already bought tickets for 2 which was 3,000.00 Bhat.)

Scene 4 Boat Ride

We: Please stop! We would like to stop and take a closer look at the temple. Why are the others getting off? (Those who have taken the bigger (public or tour group?) boats got off and went to the temple.)

Boat man: No! (just waved his hand to indicate No)

We: Stop! We'll just take pictures! (If not for Ferren's quick reflexes, we wouldn't have any pictures!)

Scene 5         Pier Disembarking Point

(We saw many tourists in line waiting for the public boat to arrive. I saw a lady and a man on the side by the pier's doorway, by a small table as we were getting out.

I:        How much is the public boat ride?

Lady: I don't know. I'm (an agent/ticket lady for the) a private boat.

I:        No, I don't want to ride on a private boat. How much is the public boat ride?

Lady: (Shouts!) I don't know!!! I'm a private boat!

I:        (I shouted back at her too.) Why don't you know? 

What a big laugh!

On an early morning, we went to the rooftop to see the sights and the swimming pool. We had a big laugh when we saw the temple and the bridge, near the pier where we embarked the boat on our first day. It was just about 2 blocks away from where our hotel was located! It took our tuktuk ride round about 30 minutes to reach the temple! To appease ourselves we went to that pier on foot. We asked how much a public boat ride cost.  It's 14 Bhat only compared to the 3,000.00 Bhat we paid! We almost rode again but hubby refused. Here, I advised a Chinese lady who wanted to ride a boat for the experience to just take the public boat and not to approach the ticket man at the pier.

Then of course, in any given situation when permitted, I advertise my beautiful country to tourists I meet by inviting them to visit the Philippines because of its natural scenery and perfect diving sites.

Transportation 

Tuktuk is  a very convenient means of transportation but they charge tremendously. They offer their prices from as high as 400 Bhat then haggle from there. We were able to ride one coming from the Zoo to our hotel at 50 Bhat after many haggles and tuktuks.

Tuk tuks are very convenient means of transportation but they charge tremendously.

In every place we go, if possible, we want to experience what the locals do. We rode on a non-airconditioned bus to go to MBK (It's a big department store). Before we did, we had asked 3-4 tuktuks to bring us to our destination and all of them were asking as high as 400 Bhat and 150 Bhat as the lowest. We also took chances to stop running taxis and asked to turn their meter on but uttered their prices instead between 200-300 Bhat. I have known from blogs not to get the stationed taxis/tuktuks nearby the hotel as they will charge you more so we walked a little farther to catch them. We finally decided to take the bus. We asked a local at a store where we could catch a bus to go to MBK.  He was kind enough to tell us to go to the nearby bus stop, and catch #15 Bus. Not trusting enough, we asked again a man wearing an ID, waiting for a bus like us. In our minds, he’s a reliable person because he might be an employee. He told us to go to the other bus stop which was really a way farther and catch #60! (can’t remember exactly.) "What?", we asked ourselves.  We asked again another lady at the bus stop and told us to take bus#15. That was a relief! We thought then that it was for real because it coincided with the boy at the store. It cost us 7. Bhat each to go to MBK. We got to see the places we’ve been on foot or tuktuk. It took us only 30 min. to reach our destination with minimal traffic which was more due to traffic lights. 

Beautiful golden temples are Bangkok's pride. The architectural designs are one of a kind! Brunei has golden temples too but Bangkok has its own awesome temples.

Beautiful golden temples are Bangkok's pride!

There are organized people whose main work are to trick tourists. They are mostly located where maps are posted! (I don't want to say that trickery does not happen in the Philippines. It happens in any country.)  I did not enjoy the boat ride here because the boat passes through the canals of filthy sewage water. People living in houses on stilts just wash their utensils and swim in the filthy water which I found unsanitary.

People living in the houses on stilts wash their utensils, swim in this filthy water which I found unsanitary.

People are not very patient. e.g., While ordering at MBK fast food, my hubby and I were discussing on the kind of food we wanted and we asked the salesman to tell us what was in the dish and we saw his impatience and spoke loud to us. Then, hubby said calmly, "Relax!". Then he mellowed down.

I didn't like how their tuktuk and taxis demand their fares. Fares of public boat rides may be posted just like the private boats so passengers can have options. Transportation should have standard prices. I know of course, even in any country, taxis charge higher at the airport. (It's given, I think.)

At the airport boarding gate, we were not allowed to bring home gel massage! Hand-carry bags can only take 250 ml. of those! Sayang! (This is not a complaint. I'm just telling a story.)

Marble temple is my favorite because it has lots of space and a park.

I might be biased but I still want to confirm that we, Filipinos are friendlier, more patient, more respectful and fair to foreigners and kababayans! Philippines has a variety of beautiful - mostly nature scenery, untouched by human hands that enkindle amazement! Indeed, IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES!!

IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES at the crater of Mt. Pinatubo volcano.